Foam buttress for stapling apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for achieving hemostasis and pneumostasis along a staple line by utilizing a compliant bioabsorbable foam buttress which may be attached to one jaw of a surgical stapling apparatus by a biocompatible releasable adhesive.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. Apparatus for hemostasis or pneumostasis of tissue comprising 
       a staple cartridge containing a plurality of surgical staples provided in two spaced apart lines having an upper surface with an opening through which said staples may be ejected, said upper surface having releasably attached thereto a compliant bioabsorbable open cell foam, wherein the open cell foam has at least one surface that has been substantially sealed that is in contact with the upper surface of the cartridge.  
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim  1  wherein the surface of the open cell foam that has been sealed has been sealed by heating the foam. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim  1  wherein the surface of the open cell foam that has been sealed has been sealed by attaching a biocompatible film to said surface. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim  1  wherein the surface of the open cell foam that has been sealed has been sealed by applying a biocompatible coating to the surface of the foam. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim  1  wherein the surface of the open cell foam that has been sealed has been sealed by contacting the surface of the foam with a solvent. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim  1  wherein the compliant bioabsorbable open cell foam is composed of copolymers of ε-caprolactone and glycolide. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim  1  wherein the compliant bioabsorbable open cell foam is releasably attached to the upper surface of the staple cartridge by a bioabsorbable releasable adhesive. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim  7  wherein the bioabsorbable releasable adhesive is selected from the group consisting of copolymers of ε-caprolactone and trimethylene carbonate, copolymers of ε-caprolactone and an ether lactone, copolymers of trimethylene carbonate and an ether lactone, copolymers composed of in the range of from about 65 mole percent to about 35 mole percent of ε-caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, ether lactone repeating units or combinations thereof with the remainder of the polymer being a plurality of second lactone repeating units; wherein the second lactone repeating units being selected from the group consisting of glycolide repeating units, lactide repeating units, 1,4-dioxanone repeating units, 6,6-dialkyl-1,4-dioxepan-2-one, combinations thereof and blends thereof. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim  7  wherein the bioabsorbable releasable adhesive is a blend of liquid and low melting polyethylene glycols. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim  7  wherein the bioabsorbable releasable adhesive is a sacccharide and a plasticizer. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim  7  wherein the bioabsorbable releasable adhesive is a protein and a plasticizer. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim  1  wherein the compliant bioabsorbable open cell foam contains an effective amount of a pharmaceutically active compound. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim  7  wherein the releaseable adhesive is a tacky microdispersion. 
     
     
       14. A compliant biocompatible foam having a first side and a second side shaped to fit within the jaws of a staple applier, wherein the compliant bioabsorbable foam is composed of an elastomeric aliphatic polyester and wherein the foam has at least one surface that has been substantially sealed. 
     
     
       15. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  14  wherein the elastomeric aliphatic polyester is selected from the group consisting of a copolymer of ε-caprolactone and glycolide, a copolymer of ε-caprolactone and lactide (including L-lactide, D-lactide blends thereof or lactic acid) a copolymer of p-dioxanone and lactide (including L-lactide, D-lactide and lactic acid), a copolymer of ε-caprolactone and p-dioxanone, a copolymer of p-dioxanone and trimethylene carbonate, a copolymer of trimethylene carbonate and glycolide, a copolymer of trimethylene carbonate and lactide (including L-lactide, D-lactide, blends thereof or lactic acid) and blends thereof. 
     
     
       16. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  14 , wherein the foam is an open cell foam. 
     
     
       17. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  16  wherein the compliant biocompatible foam contains an effective amount of a pharmaceutically active compound. 
     
     
       18. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  14  further comprising on the first side a releasable adhesive selected from the group consisting of copolymers of ε-caprolactone and trimethylene carbonate, copolymers of ε-caprolactone and an ether lactone, copolymers of trimethylene carbonate and an ether lactone, copolymers composed of in the range of from about 65 mole percent to about 35 mole percent of ε-caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, ether lactone repeating units or combinations thereof with the remainder of the polymer being a plurality of second lactone repeating units; wherein the second lactone repeating units being selected from the group consisting of glycolide repeating units, lactide repeating units, 1,4-dioxanone repeating units, 6,6-dialkyl-1,4-dioxepan-2-one, combinations thereof and blends thereof. 
     
     
       19. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  14  further comprising a releasable biocompatible adhesive on the first side, wherein the bioabsorbable releasable adhesive comprises a blend of liquid and low melting polyethylene glycols. 
     
     
       20. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  19  wherein the compliant biocompatible foam contains an effective amount of a pharmaceutically active compound. 
     
     
       21. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  14  further comprising a releasable biocompatible adhesive on the first side, wherein the bioabsorbable releasable adhesive comprises a saccharide and a plasticizer. 
     
     
       22. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  21  wherein the compliant biocompatible foam contains an effective amount of a pharmaceutically active compound. 
     
     
       23. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  14  further comprising a releasable biocompatible adhesive on the first side, wherein the bioabsorbable releasable adhesive comprises a protein and a plasticizer. 
     
     
       24. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  23  wherein the compliant biocompatible foam contains an effective amount of a pharmaceutically active compound. 
     
     
       25. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  14  wherein the compliant biocompatible foam contains an effective amount of a pharmaceutically active compound. 
     
     
       26. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  14  further comprising a releasable biocompatible adhesive on the first sides wherein the releasable adhesive comprises a tacky microdispersion. 
     
     
       27. The compliant biocompatible foam of claim  26  wherein the compliant biocompatible foam contains an effective amount of a pharmaceutically active compound. 
     
     
       28. An apparatus for approximating tissue, comprising; a staple cartridge containing a plurality of surgical staples provided in two spaced apart lines having an upper surface with an opening through which said staples may be ejected, said upper surface having releasably attached thereto a compliant bioabsorbable foam having at least one surface that has been substantially sealed. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim  28 , wherein the foam is an open cell foam. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of claim  28 , further comprising a releasable biocompatible adhesive on the first side, wherein the bioabsorbable releasable adhesive comprises a blend of liquid and low melting polyethylene glycols. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of claim  28 , further comprising a releasable biocompatible adhesive on the first side, wherein the bioabsorbable releasable adhesive comprises a saccharide and a plasticizer. 
     
     
       32. The apparatus of claim  28 , further comprising a releasable biocompatible adhesive on the first side, wherein the bioabsorbable releasable adhesive comprises a protein and a plasticizer. 
     
     
       33. The apparatus of claim  28 , further comprising a releasable biocompatible adhesive on the first side, wherein the releasable adhesive comprises a tacky microdispersion.